Bus after bus pulled up to a candlelight welcome Wednesday night at the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ.
They unloaded hundreds of VIPs ready for a holiday party.
“Good to have you tonight, Merry Christmas to you!” people greeted them at the door.
Members of Brentwood Hills Church of Christ held welcome signs and rushed forward with smiles and handshakes.
Because their guests Wednesday night were extra special.
“People was waving at us and everything, that made us feel welcome,” said mom Michelle Owens, attending the banquet.
Many of the guests are homeless. They came from the Bridge Ministry in downtown Nashville.
“We still struggle every now and then but God is too good,” said dad Demarcus Fletcher, with his entire family in tow.
With the promise of songs, food and prayer more than 400 people showed up for the church's annual Christmas banquet.
“The food is awesome, the sweet potatoes are just to die for!” said Katie Rodriguez, sitting next to two of her kids and her mother at a decorated banquet table.
Owens brought her 2-year-old George Michael.
“It’s awesome, the food’s good,” she said, smiling.
It's a tough time of year for her. Wednesday she and George got their only real chance to celebrate the holiday.
“I aint been in too good of health this year, so it’s really a blessing, because with hospital bills, it helps out,” she said.
That's exactly why 750 church members showed up and got to work waiting on their guests, hand and foot.
“We want them to sit down, have food brought to them, we want to treat them as if they are royalty,” said Executive Minister Jonathan Seamon, “Christ, in a parable, told someone if you’re gonna do a banquet, do one for those who are less fortunate, who would never be invited to one.”
Because they say the holidays should be filled with happiness.
“It’s just a blessing to have something be done for you like this,” said Owens, tearfully. That way any tears this Christmas are tears of joy.
